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34 posts categorized "Government"

I’ve blogged before about how beneficial the Visa Waiver Program is to the United States travel and tourism industry. But, it also helps a lot of other industries in our country, including all the restaurants and retail that rely so much on international travelers. The Visa Waiver Program allows low-risk...

I was recently in Puerto Rico and had the opportunity to meet with the governor, Luis Fortuño. He really understands the immense value the travel and tourism industry brings to his country. Back in the 1990s, Governor Fortuño served as the first Secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development...

President Obama has just returned from Asia, where he had an extensive visit promoting U.S. exports. But here at home we’re doing all we can to increase exports and create more jobs because each time a visitor from abroad buys a hotel room in the United States, that counts as...

We recently had the privilege of hosting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, at our headquarters to talk about issues our industry and her agency have in common. Our associates, including the chefs in our Marriott test kitchen, were thrilled to meet the Secretary. First, we talked about immigration...

We’re in the hospitality business and nothing gives us more pleasure than welcoming our guests for life’s most memorable moments, an important business negotiation, or simply a good night’s sleep. Sometimes, situations outside our control create inhospitable conditions, like the tragic events that recently unfolded in Bangkok. That’s when our...

Ni-Hao. I’m blogging from the USA Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China. This is an absolutely phenomenal development. The Chinese and the participating countries have spent over $58 billion to stage this mega-event. It is, without doubt, the finest thing I’ve ever seen in terms of expos...

On Tuesday night (April 13) I was at the Green Street Lodging Conference at our Ritz-Carlton hotel in Washington, D.C., and met with a group of Wall Street analysts and other industry leaders. We discussed what lies ahead for our company and the entire travel industry as we come out...

Thank you, Mr. President! President Obama signed the Travel Promotion Act into law this week, representing a great victory for our business and the U.S. economy. We’ve been working on this for years and the credit goes to Senators Reid, Dorgan and Ensign and Congressmen Blunt and Delahunt for a...

Bravo to the United States Senate for supporting a much-needed bill that will spur international travel, boost U.S. hotel stays and help accelerate the recovery of the U.S. economy. My thanks to Senators Harry Reid, Byron Dorgan and John Ensign for their tireless work. The Travel Promotion Act will now...

Back in March, the U.S. Travel Association launched a contest to find the face of the travel industry. They were looking for someone who embodied the character and hard working spirit of our industry. I'm proud to announce that this extremely prestigious honor went to one of our Ritz-Carlton associates,...